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I've been wanting to get into astro imaging with my DSLR. After reading here I thought that I would get a very basic telescope and see if I even like looking at the heavens. I've waited for several months before deciding to buy one. I slapped a basic zoom on tonight and took a few pictures while waiting for Orion to come up. Stars that were "streaked" and high ISO noise were being worked out. After a few photos I noticed this fuzzy blur on the sword. I was amazed when I found out it was a nebula. What a thrill. After that I took what few dollars I have and bought a PowerSeeker 70EQ with and Equatorial tripod. I know it's not much, but I think it will help me see few more things without all the blur from my camera's tripod. If this is as interesting as I think it will be, I can see a big money pit being dug. I'm taking the advice from this form and starting out slow.

This is a great forum with good information for beginners. Thanks

Jeff

This picture isn't much. but it's my first time seeing something other than just stars. I am one happy man. :grin:

post-26965-0-08949100-1353830673_thumb.j

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Hi Jeff, Welcome to SGL - look forward to seeing more photos from Californian skies in the forum!

Astrophotography can get expensive, but there are lots of aspiring beginners producing great results on a budget and some very experienced pros offering sound advice.

Jake

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Hi Jeff and welcome to SGL, well done on your first image, AP and its associated equipment can be heavy the pocket and you do right to take things rather steady, assimilate as much as you can from the forum and other sources and you should soon be in a position to take your next step forward, enjoy your Astronomy :)

John.

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Hi Jeff welcome to Stargazers Lounge, my first pic of M42 looked just like that, and its still my best lol, its amazing when you take a photo of something like that and realise you captured the colours and shape, its the first step on a long road, which i'm sure you'll enjoy :)

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Hi Jeff and welcome to the forum. Imaging can be roughly divided into two camps, solar system imaging (planets and moon) and deep sky imaging (galaxies and nebulae). You would appear to have already learnt the need for accurate tracking in order to collect enough data to construct a picture whilst making sure the image itself (and surrounding stars etc) are sharply focused. Imaging solar system objects using a simple webcam can provide some great results and as the objects are so bright, enough data can be gathered quickly without too many concerns over tracking. The deep sky objects being so faint are the ones that require longer exposures (20 mins +) and therefore the need for accurate tracking is a must. I would recommend you get hold of a book by Steve Richards called "Making Every Photon Count" of which you can read its description here and here. In my opinion it is essential reading in order to know what kit to buy and why you need it to take good consistent images. As this area of activity is quite involved, having a clear and onjective overview of the subject will certainly make it easier to decide on how far you want to go with it and deciding on the appropriate budget. Collecting the data via scope and mount is one thing, processing what you have captured is another and thankfully there are many pieces of software that are free to download and use. Inevitably there are one or two other really useful piece of software that you will need to buy so it is important being aware of this from the outset before commiting any expense. As the old joke goes, you don't want your first image of a black hole being the one in your wallet! :grin: :grin:

Imaging should be more about fun than frustration and consistency with your method and kit will certainly go along way to producing results that will best meet your own expectations. Please ask questions here on the forum within the relevant imaging sections and you will soon get up to speed on what is required and how it is all put together. :smiley:

Clear skies for now and enjoy the forum

James

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Hi Jeff and welcome aboard. Some good advice given already, so I wont add to it. I will say however, that Making Every Photon Count is a must read book and will save you time and money in the long run too, as you will only need to purchase the right things when you need them.

Enjoy your viewing and when the AP starts to take off, enjoy the journey, despite the expense and tribulations it will bring with it ! You've tasted the rewards of your first photo, and it gets better ;)

Good luck...

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